1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to authentication processing systems, authentication processing methods, authentication devices, and computer programs and, more particularly, to an authentication processing system, an authentication processing method, an authentication device, and a computer program which use an authentication-function executing element mounted to a human body to execute individual authentication by using biometrics (living-body) information and to execute authentication by communication through the human body.
2. Description of the Related Art
Services for distributing various types of software data (hereinafter called a content), such as music data, image data, and game programs, through various types of wire and wireless communication networks, such as those through the Internet and satellites, have spread, and the use of electronic payment and electronic money has increased rapidly on the networks. In addition, many companies and many persons frequently store confidential documents in various storage media, such as hard disks and optical disks. It has been an important issue to ensure the security of such data transferred through the networks or stored in the various storage media.
There are various ways to ensure security. One of them is to restrict the use of a computer to legitimate users. Processing for determining a user is called individual authentication processing. In a typical method, user IDs and passwords are given to legitimate users in advance, and only those who input correct passwords are allowed to access data.
Currently, various problems occur, however, when each person manages the user ID and password. To enhance security, it is considered advantageous that a complicated password is generated, whereas it is difficult for a person to memorize a complicated password. It is possible to store a password in a storage apparatus, such as a hard disk, to help a human's storage capability. When a password is stored in such a storage apparatus, a third party may steal the password from the storage apparatus, and a safety problem arises.
In a method to solve a password-management issue, individual biometrics (living-body) information, such as an eyeground image or a fingerprint, is used to identify legitimate users. For example, living-body information of a legitimate user, such as code information obtained from the eyeground image of the user, is registered in a system in advance, and the user makes the system read the living-body information, such as eyeground information, before executing processing, such as payment processing, which requires individual authentication. Then, the system verifies the living-body information read from the user with the registered living-body information to determine whether the user is a legitimate already-registered user. This verification checks the legitimacy of the user.
In the process for checking the legitimacy of an individual by using biometrics (living-body) information, however, impersonation, that is, counterfeiting and duplication of biometrics information, may occur. Impersonation may be possible, for example, if fingerprint information is duplicated on artificial leather or rubber, and data is read from the leather or rubber by a fingerprint reading apparatus.